A random downpour didn't deter a massive line from forming outside the gates of Charleston’s Firefly Distillery in anticipation of 311’s annual Unity tour. Fat drops of rain splashed fans as they were scanned in through the gates and, almost as soon as people started to zip up their raincoats, the rain stopped—a good omen for the crowd, to be sure. The sunset over the open field of the venue dipped below the horizon. The humidity hung for a bit, but the night air delivered a reprieve from the heat of the day. As the temperature finally began to cool off, Nick Hexum (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), "SA" Martinez (lead vocals, turntables), "P-Nut" Wills (bass), Chad Sexton (drums), and Tim Mahoney (lead guitar) appeared on stage. The familiar sound of guitar feedback rang out as 311 kicked off the show with “Beautiful Disaster” from ‘97’s Transistor. The churning guitar and funky bass line lead into Hexum’s echoing voice. I was immediately transported back to a time of unzipping a hefty Case Logic CD case flipping a few crispy pages and finding a page full of 311. That nostalgic feeling kept a hold of me as the band seamlessly transitioned into “Freeze Time” from their 1999 album Soundsystem. Another guitar riff-heavy jam blended with just the right amount of turn tables. Sexton worked his massive drum kit, and the crowd roared as "SA" Martinez took center stage to deliver a lyrical assault.
The quintet had hit their stride and the band's reggae roots began to show when they let loose with the summertime favorite “Sunset in July” from 2011’s Universal Pulse. The crowd was swaying and the band was vibing. You could tell they were having fun, just letting loose and delivering high-energy performances of all their hits. If you know 311 or are a fan of bass in general you know, "P-Nut" Wills, he’s a legend. The crowd was in awe as “P-Nut” performed a bass solo that was so funky I could smell it. His face cracked a smile, and his licks morphed into Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name”. After the screams and whistles subsided, Hexum proclaimed it was time for a deep cut. Now this is normally a time when only a small percentage of the crowd will know the lyrics, but to my surprise that didn't seem to be the case with “Do You Right” from their debut album ‘93s Music. The crowd danced and swayed while singing the lyrics to the wavy tune. “All Mixed Up” from ‘95s 311 struck the crowd like lighting, forcing a mass of bodies to hop up and down. The band continued with an epic performance of “Eons” from Soundsystem which perfectly flowed into “Applied Science” from Grassroots. 311 rocked the stage, sparring no inch. Hexum and “SA” rocked from one side of the stage to another. The band's ability to effortlessly keep the crowd's energy up was a true sign that in fact, “311s got the BOOM y’all!”. You could tell that they were feeding off the concentrated enthusiasm of the fans.
They performed their latest single “You're Gonna Get It”. A fresh, fast-paced, and rowdy tune destined to be played in sports stadiums for years to come. The crowd ate it up. Next up was arguably the band's most popular song, “Amber” from the 2001 album From Chaos. Several of 311's songs are ingrained in pop culture, and almost all are recognizable, but “Amber” is THE song everyone knows. Just as you would suspect, the field of Firefly bloomed with the vocals of thousands of fans singing the infectious ballad. An astounding drum solo from Chad Sexton brought the energy right back up. He worked his giant drum kit like it owed him money. He used every piece of his kit masterfully. Big standing drums were wheeled out onto the stage, and the rest of the band grabbed sticks and joined in. Culminating in a massive drum jam.
They closed out their set with “Creatures (for a While)” from ‘03s Evolver. But it was obvious the crowd hadn't had enough yet. The audience's plea for an encore never faded, when the lights dimmed. 311 happily obliged, returning to the stage to perform “You Wouldn't Believe” from the album From Chaos, before bringing the figurative house down with the song that put them on the map, “Down” from their smash self-titled album. 311’s music at the root has always been about having fun, and their live show was just that: fun. They came on stage and their energy never faltered, they played every song with enthusiasm, never phoning in one note. 311 put on one of the most effortlessly fun shows I have seen in a while. It was a vibe, a vibe I highly recommend.
